LSU Football: 5 reasons why Tigers will win the 2017 national title

3. Winnable road games, favorable home schedule

Playing in the SEC means that LSU’s schedule doesn’t yield many “sure wins” like other conferences. Still, the Tigers have a potentially favorable outlook for the 2017 season based on their schedule.

In fact, the road games seem winnable while the home games should all be victories.

Let’s take a look at the Tigers’ road games in conference play: Mississippi State, Florida, Ole Miss, Alabama and Tennessee. Those all might sound like daunting tasks, but the only game in which the Tigers probably won’t be favored is Alabama.

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Mississippi State is coming off a rough season and LSU should have the upper hand there. Florida has a mediocre offensive attack and LSU’s defense should shut the Gators down. Ole Miss just lost its head coach after a nightmare offseason. Lastly, Tennessee is fielding all-new starters at important positions, making this a rebuilding year.

If LSU loses to Alabama on the road — although the Tigers always play the Tide tough — one defeat can still get the Tigers in the playoff.

The only home game that seems to be in question is Auburn, but getting the Tigers in Baton Rouge is a major advantage. They get Arkansas and Texas A&M at home, too, which should both be wins.